


Kaleidoscopic

by LittleMissAgrafina



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, Healing, I'm Sorry, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Has Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Unconventional Families
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21922849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissAgrafina/pseuds/LittleMissAgrafina
Summary: — adjective•Of, relating to, or created by a kaleidoscope.•Changing form, pattern, color, etc. in a manner suggesting a kaleidoscope.•Continually shifting from one set of relations to another; rapidly changing: the kaleidoscopic events of the past year.
Relationships: Ben Parker/May Parker (Spider-Man), Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 17
Kudos: 42





	1. Colours

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys. This is my first ever fic and there first time I've written anything outside of school required writing.  
> Understandably, I'm pretty nervous about posting this but I thought I'd go for it anyway!  
> Please let me now what you think?
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated!

_Ever since he was little, Peter's world had colour. There were moments where the colours were bold and beautiful, and moments where they were dark and cloudy. It was just the way it worked._

* * *

The first time that the colours were dark was when Peter's parents went away and didn't come back. He didn't understand why they weren't coming back and he was scared but Aunt May and Uncle Ben said they would look after him. He loved them, and they made the scared go away. Slowly, they even made the colours came back. 

He was happy, he had missed the colours.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊ 

* * *

  
The first time the colours were bright, so bright that they glowed, was when he met his best friend.

Peter had been nervous to go to school. Had been sad after a boy had been mean about his new Star Wars backpack and pulled the straps to make him fall, but another boy had helped him up and showed him his own matching bag with a proud smile, stating that they were friends now, just like Han and Chewie.  
His name was Ned. Peter liked his new friend.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

  
Peter's world went dark again after Skip. Ben and May told him that he was safe and that he wouldn't be hurt again. It didn't help much because he still felt horrible. He thought that this must be what the earth feels like, polluted and violated. 

He decided that he didn't like people very much. They cause too much pain and suffering. But maybe, just maybe, there are people who are good and kind and beautiful. Like his colours. His therapist taught him that 

She also told him that maybe some people didn't notice colours the way he did, that they couldn't understand. He thinks she was right. When he asked her if she understood, she said that she didn't but her own sister had colours like Peter's own.

He liked her. She helped his colours come back again. 

He said that he had times that the colours dimmed without a reason.  
She told him his dark colours were called depression and anxiety, that his bright colours were happiness and peace.

He was glad that his colours had names.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

  
It was bright even after the spider bit him.   
He woke up able too see and breath properly for the first time in his life. He had powers that enhanced his ability to jump, run, and move so much faster than regular people. Not to mention it heightened all of his senses and gave him what he called his spider-sense.

But then the fight happened. 

He ran and ignored the voice in his head saying he should help the man in the store... But he turned when he heard the gunshot. And then Ben was on the ground, bleeding out in Peter's arms. 

He was forced to listen to his uncle's heartbeat slow and finally, stop altogether. The words "With great power comes great responsibility" ringing in his head.

He never realised that his colours left with Ben's heartbeat.

His world was bathed in darkness once again, and all he saw was black.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

  
He asked May how she carried on going once, she said "Because I have you, sweetheart.   
I love Ben and I miss him so much... But I still have you, you kept me going and gave me a reason to be happy. We might not have Ben but we still have each other."

He smiled and hugged her, feeling like something had clicked back into place.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

  
His colours were still mute and dim, but they were there. 

He smiled more, laughed with May and Ned more, and started healing. He still missed Ben but he knew that his uncle wouldn't want him to stop being happy and living.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

His colours were still faded as if he was seeing them through a light mist, and they stayed that way through Mr. Stark appearing at his apartment, Germany, the ferry, homecoming, getting his suit back and May finding out.

Then they started to brighten a little more.

He started interning with Mr. Stark for real, which at first he thought was just code for his Spider-Manning like before, but found out it was a proper internship when Ms. Potts brought the paperwork with Mr. Stark one of the times he came over to talk with May about connecting his vitals from his suit to May's phone as well.

Turns out that May and Ms. Potts get along like a house on fire, especially because they both have to deal with "idiot geniuses".  
They decided to have weekly meetups each Friday that they called Spider Boss night. 

Everyone except for Peter found the name amusing.

Eventually, Spider Boss night evolved into having dinner once a week, which turned into movie nights, which turned into staying for the weekend. If May didn't have any weekend shifts then she would stay too.  
Sometimes Rhodey and even Happy would join them.

They somehow became a dysfunctional family.

A little more colour came back.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

  
He told Mr. St- Tony about his colours one day.

Tony just smiled softly and pulled him into a hug, saying "I think I understand.   
Thank you for telling me, Kid."

Mr. Stark's hug felt warm and brought another flood of colour back.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

  
It was a lab day when it hit him.

"They don't define me." He breathed

"What?" Tony asked quizzically, looking up from the nanobots he'd been tinkering with.

Peter sat up and met his eyes, "My colours," he said sounding slightly dazed, "They don't define me. I've lived my whole life in pieces, designating them by having colour or having darkness, but I never thought that I could have both. That I could be someone without the colours or darkness.  
That I could have worth and not feel influenced by my anxiety or depression." 

The last part being said so quietly his mentor/father figure almost didn't hear it.

Tony looked at him with an expression that Peter couldn't quite read.

"You're right," Tony stated moving to stand in front of him, "They don't define you because you are defined by your Peterness already." 

He lifted Peter's chin so he could look him in the eye.

"You are defined by your kindness, by your giving heart and amazing intelligence."

"You are defined by your willingness to love anyone and everyone, your insensitive to do good and help as many people as you can."

"You are defined by your friendships with family and friends, by your jokes, legos, and Star Wars, spiders, and 'I larb yous'."

"You are defined by the fun times we have in the lab and other times with our whole family."

"You are defined by your curls, bright eyes, and even brighter smiles."

"You are defined by _you_ , by the kaleidoscope of so much more than just dark and colour. The you that is Peter Benjamin Parker, and I love you for it. I'm _so_ proud of you, Roo." Tony ended in a soft voice, tugging his son in all but blood into his arms.

Peter melted against him, smiling and replying with a slight sniffle, "Thank you. I love you, dad."

"And I love you, 3000 sweetheart."

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

  
_Ever since he was little, Peter's world had colour. There were moments where the colours were bold and beautiful, and moments where they were dark and cloudy. It was just the way it worked._  
_But as he grew in age, he grew with the dark and bright too._

  
He still had dark days and he still had bright days, but he wasn't defined by them.

After all, a great man once told him.

_"You are a kaleidoscope."_


	2. 3000

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reason Peter and Tony can say "I love you 3000" without Morgan.

_It started as a joke._

* * *

Peter had been telling Tony a funny story about something that happened at school.

"-so I said I'm very upset and Ned ask-"

"How upset were you exactly?" Tony teasingly interrupted.

"So upset! Like, 3000 upset!" Peter exclaimed.

Tony snickered, "Is that the highest number you can come up with?" 

"Mr. Stark!" He whined, "It was the first number that popped into my head!"

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

"How hungry are you?"

"Like, 3000. I'm starving!"

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

"Ms. Potts is cross that you haven't done the paperwork."

"Don't worry, she's not at 3000 yet."

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

"Kid c'mon," Tony said trying to move him off his lap, "The movie's over."

"Noooo! I'm tired 3000." Came a slurred voice.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

"I love coffee so much."

"Wow, I feel the affection."

"Don't worry, I love you 3000."

He turned to Peter, "You however, are in the low six to nine hundred range."

"Hey!" Came Peter's voice, trying to fake offence even through his giggles.

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

"You don't have to stay, it was just a nightmare."

"Well tough, I'm here."

"Thank you. I love you 3000."

* * *

⎊ ⎊ ⎊

* * *

_It started as a joke but they knew the meaning behind it._

_Love is 3000, after all._

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to give a shout out to some amazing peoples!  
> @scooter3scooter, @itsreallylaterightnow, @marvels-blue-phoenix, and @fictional-worlds-are-exquisite.  
> You guys are super encouraging and ilysm!
> 
> Another quick thing, I wrote a little extra piece to make a backstory to Peter and Tony being able to use "I love you 3000" without Morgan but I didn't like how it sat in the rest of my story so it will be in the second chapter.


End file.
